1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a program table display device and a method for displaying the data relating to a desired program in the program table in detail.
2. Description of the Related Art
Character multiplex broadcasting has been put to practical use, in which the digital data indicating the character data or the like is superimposed on the picture-voice signal of a television broadcast. There is a program table showing the program name, the broadcasting hour, or the like of the broadcast program of the television broadcast, as one of the data provided by the character multiplex broadcasting system hereinafter, referred to as the character multiplex data).
The display examples onto the display of a television receiver are shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, which have previously been provided as program tables to be provided by such character multiplex data. In these program tables, a display frame corresponding to each of the programs is provided according to the channel and the broadcasting hour, and what program is broadcast, on which channel it is broadcast, and when it is broadcast are shown in a listing form. However, it is impossible to show the detailed data relating to the program indicated in each display frame, only by such a display in the listing form. Therefore, in order to make it possible to show the detailed data, previously the following method has been used.
First, as shown in FIG. 2, there is such a method that the size in the time axis direction of the program table (in this example, the horizontal axis direction) is widened corresponding to the program name whose detailed display is required, so that the detailed data may be shown in the enlarged display frame. Secondly, as shown in FIG. 3, there is such a method that a pop up window 91 is opened corresponding to a mouse cursor 100, so that the detailed data may be shown in this pop up window 91. Thirdly, as shown in FIG. 4, there is such a method that another window 92 separated from the program table is opened, so that the detailed data corresponding to the program name indicated by the mouse cursor 100 may be shown in the window 92.
However, in the above mentioned first method, there has been such a problem that the program table is widened only in the time axis direction, and therefore, it becomes difficult to grasp the total image of the program table. Furthermore, in the above mentioned first method, there has been such a problem that it is necessary to perform the widening of the program table in the time axis direction by the operation with the operational key, the indication with the icon provided outside the program table, or the like, and therefore, the operation is troublesome.
In the above mentioned second method, there has been such a problem that a part of the program table is hidden under the pop up window 91 and becomes invisible by opening the pop up window 91. Furthermore, in the above mentioned third method, there has been such a problem that the detailed data shown in the window 92 is displayed in an area separated from the corresponding program name, and therefore, it is difficult to know the corresponding relation between the detailed data and the program name.
An object of the present invention is to provide a program table display device and a method by which the total program table can be shown in the listing form, and the detailed data relating to the desired program can be shown in the understandable way.
A program table display device according to a first view point of the present invention, comprises:
a memory section in which a plurality of first data respectively relating to different programs, and a plurality of second data respectively corresponding to the first data and including the data more particular than the corresponding first data are stored;
a display section in which a plurality of display frames corresponding to the plurality of first data stored in the memory section are provided and which displays a program table having the plurality of corresponding first data put in each display frame;
an indicating section which indicates the desired first data among the plurality of first data in the program table shown in the display section;
a data obtaining section which obtains the plurality of second data corresponding to the first data indicated by the indicating section, from the memory section; and
a display control section which expands the corresponding display frame among the plurality of display frames displayed in the display section, according to the second data obtained by the data obtaining section, and which puts the second data obtained by the data obtaining section together with the first data into the expanded display frame and displays the data in the display section.
In the program table display section, the first desired data in the program table displayed in the display section is indicated by the indicating section, and consequently, the display frame corresponding to the indicated first data is expanded and displayed, and in this expanded display frame, the second data is displayed together with the first data. Therefore, in the case where the program table is displayed in the display section so that the total image may be grasped, the program table showing the second data can be displayed in the display section without damaging the display form. Furthermore, since the second data is displayed together with the first data in the expanded display frame, the second data can easily be confirmed. Moreover, since it is sufficient to perform only the indication by the indicating section, the operation is also easy.
In the above mentioned program table display device, each display frame in the program table may be, for example, frame which is displayed in the display section in parallel for every broadcasting channel of the program corresponding to the first data put in each display frame.
In this case, the display control section can be a section which expands all display frames corresponding to the broadcasting channel of the program according to the first data indicated by the indicating section and displays them in the display section.
In the above mentioned program table display device, each display frame in the program table may be, furthermore, a frame whose position is put in order for every broadcasting time zone of the program corresponding to the first data put in each display frame, and which is displayed in the display section.
In this case, the display control section can be section which expands all display frames corresponding to the broadcasting time zone of the program according to the first data indicated by the indicating section, and which displays them in the display section.
A program table display device according to a second view point of the present invention, comprises:
a memory device in which a plurality of first data respectively relating to different programs, and a plurality of second data respectively corresponding to the first data and including the data more particular than the corresponding first data are stored;
a display device in which a plurality of display frames corresponding to the plurality of first data stored in the memory section are provided, and which displays a program table having the plurality of corresponding first data put in each display frame;
an indicating device which indicates the desired first data among the plurality of first data in the program table shown in the display section; and
a control device which is connected to the memory device, the display device, and the indicating device, and which controls the memory device and the display device according to the first data indicated by the indicating device, as follows ((a) to ( c )):
(a) the plurality of second data corresponding to the first data indicated by the indicating section are obtained from the memory section;
(b) the display frame corresponding to the first data indicated by the indicating section among the plurality of display frames shown in the display device, is expanded according to the obtained second data, and is displayed in the display device; and
(c) the obtained second data is put in the expanded display frame together with the first data, and is displayed in the display device.
A program table display method according to a third view point of the present invention, comprises:
a memory step of storing, in a memory device, a plurality of first data respectively relating different programs, and a plurality of second data respectively corresponding to the first data and including the data more particular than the corresponding first data;
a display step of providing a plurality of display frames corresponding to the plurality of first data stored in the memory device at the memory step, and of displaying, in a display device, a program table having the plurality of corresponding first data put in each display frame;
an indicating step of indicating the desired first data among the plurality of first data in the program table shown in the display device at the display step;
a data obtaining step of obtaining the second data corresponding to the first data indicated at the indicating step, from the memory device; and
a display control step of expanding the corresponding display frame among the plurality of display frames displayed in the display device at the display step, according to the second data obtained at the data obtaining step, and of putting the second data obtained at the data obtaining step together with the first data into the expanded display frame and of displaying them in the display device.
According to the present invention, the second data can be displayed in the program table, without damaging such a display form that the total image of the program table can be grasped. Furthermore, since the second data is displayed together with the first data in the expanded display frame, the second data can easily be confirmed. Moreover, in order to display the second data, it if sufficient to perform only the indication by the indicating section (or device), and therefore, the operation is easy.